Connector or terminal for electrical conductors.



PATENTE'D FEB. 12, 190?.

1 J. MGLAUGHLIN- CONNECTOR 0R TERMINAL FOR ELECTRICAL GONDUGTORS.

APPLIOATION FILED SBPTJI. 1901.

vimw M E R M M Q 1o nection oi conductors, and has for its object the'rovision' of a connector by means of 'it to t e rails.

mcr or sledge,

UNITED v STATES PA'rENT OF E JAMES MCLAU HLIN, or NEW YORK, 1i assrenos-TO GENERAL.

ELECTRIC COMPANY, AcoRPo A'noN or NEW YORK.

counsc'ron on TERMINAL FOR ELECTRICAL comouc'ross.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented Feb. 12,1907;

Application filed September 11. 1901. Serial No. 74,995.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES MQLAUGHLIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, county of New York, State of New. York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Connectors or'Terminalsfor Electrical Conductors, of which the following is a specificationThis invention relates to the electrical conwhic a plurality ofconductors may be securely connected both electrically and mechanicallywith the exercise of a minimum amount of labor and skill. p

In Patent No. 583,309 I have described l and claimed 'a rail-bond whichconsists, essentially, of an electrical connecting-conductor rovidedwith terminals for attaching The terminals consist of bushings adaptedto enter holes in the rails, said bushings being cast or formed aboutpins or keys, so that the said pins or keys are permanently held bythemand the whole .so constructed that when the bushing is placed in ahole in a rail and the pin or key driven home the bushing is expandedand a head formed upon the opposite side of the rail from the drivingside, thus scctnelylastening 'the terminal to the rail.

It is obviously objectionable to form the terminal and conductor inonepi ece where long conductors are used, and in some eas esas, forinstance, where old trolleywire is used as a conductor-it is practicallyimpossible, while the methods of attaching conductors to terminals orconnectors now in use involvea considerable amount of labor andgenerally the .use of several tools.

I propose to provide a connector which will greatly decrease the amountof labor required, ill reduce the tools needed to a ham and will furnisha securcand lasting connection. It will ac omplish this no matter whattheform (:l/ wnductors or whether there is one or v0 or more in .1parallel.

It can be best described with reference to the attached drawings", ofwhichupon the head H of pin P, it

definitely increase the number.

, or support towhich itisto be connected be- ,ing shownln section. Fig.3is a section of Fig. 1 on line X X, showing the connector ready forattachment. Fi 4 is a' similar view after attachment. elevation of amodified form, showing how the number of connecting conductors inparallel may be multiplied, (in this case the connector. is adapted toreceive six and Fig. 6 is a plan of a form adapted to receive ReferringtoFigs. 1,2, and 3, H is the head of the tapering pin P, whichterminates in the knob. or expansion M at its other end. 1 Cast orformed about, the pin P is the bushing E,

having the shoulder D, and cast with or oth- 7d erwise attachedto thisbushing are receptacles or sleeves S and S secured together at theirextremities by cross-pieces C. In the sleeves S and S-'are holes orchambers h to receive conductors, as K. The -full lines of 7 Figs. 1 and2 and Fig. 3 show the connector I before it has been applied. It now westrike will be driven forward through the bushingEfand the connectorwill manneras described in Patent No. 583,309; but as the pin P isdriven forward the head H forces sleeves S and S apart, causing them toassume-positions as shown by the dotted 8 lines of Figs. 1 and 2. Thecross-pieces C acting to hold the extremities of the sleevgs at a fixeddlstance apart, the sprea'din ac- .tion of the head H c ausescurves ofsmall iadii or deformations-to be formed in the sleeves o and-in thecondu c'tors which yea inserted into them 'revio sto the driving ofpinP,

thereby ma ing a firm and fiicient electrical connection and. a tirmandenduring mechanical lock.

. I 9 It is evident that we may aswell have three chambers for thereception of connecting-conductors on each side of the pin 1?, as showniirFig. 5, as one on each side, as shown in FigsIl, 2, )sti-uctions 'tothat shown in Fig. 5we may in- If it is .desired to secure but oneconnecting-conductor to the terminal, a construction similar to thatshown in Fig.' 6 may beadopted, in 105 which the sleeve 3 is'adapted toreceive the conductor, while the function of S in Figs. 1,

2, 3, 4, and 5, so far as is concerned, is fullillcd by the piece B,wluch is secured to S by cross-pieces U.

Big. 5 is an end one conductor.

hey firmly secured to the rail or other support R, as shown in Fig. 4,and in a 3, and 4, and by similar con- -lOO In the various figures Ihaveshown the chambers for the reception of the connecting conductors ashaving circular sections; but theyinay aswell be of any otherdes irable5 form. v [f 1 It is probable that my invention will be most widely usedin connection with the bondin "of electric railways; but itmay. beapplie ain many other cases where it is dered to connect a plurality ofconductors'toether; I -I do not, therefore, Wish to be limt'e'dto anyspecific application. Neither do to be confined to any specific form ofal,''as any form which is adapted to be 'ured'to asupport by means ofthe drivinga pin'or key wheusuch driving of said pin ey operates also tosecure a conductor to terminal can be employed without deartin'g from myinvention. l j

t I-claim as new, and desire to secure Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is- 1, -The combination of a terminal, receptacles for:conductors, a cross-piece connecting said receptacles, and-a pin or keyfor expandsaid terminal and deforming said recepta- ""668! V 2 Thecombination of-a terminal, receptas for conductors, cross-pieces holdingcern'portiQI s of said receptacles at fixed disees apart, and .a pin orkey for securing d terminal to-a support and simultanesly securingconductors in'said receptacles.

3. The combination of a terminal, recepta oles for conductors, attachedto said terminal, and wedging means for simultaneously se- 3 5 curingthe conductors in said receptacle and securing said terminal to asupport.

' 4. The combination of a terminal, conductor-receptacles carriedthereby, cross-pieces joining together said receptacles, and a wedge 0alrranged to bedriven between said recepta- 0 es. i.

'5. The combination ofa terminal having a v hollow stud,conductor-receptacles secured to said terminal and-meansfor wedgingapart 5 said receptacles and expanding said stud.

6.' The combination of a terminal having a hollow stud,conductor-receptacles inte al with said terminal, and a wedge arrange tobe driven between said receptacles and. into 50 said hollow stud.

7. The combination of a terminal having a hollow stud,conductor-receptacles secured transversely to said terminal,cross-pieces joining theends of said receptacles, and wedg- 5 5 g meansarranged between said receptacles and in saidhollowstud. v

- In witness whereof I have here-unto set myr hand this 7th day ofSeptember, 1901 p I MoLAUGHLIN.

Witnesses: q

. M Lawson -DYER,

' BENJAMIN MILLER.

